Various types of facilities often incorporate the use of sensors for a variety of purposes. For example, many businesses, government agencies, banks, retail establishments, and the like utilize security or surveillance cameras to record activity at the facilities. Many different types of image sensors presently exist for capturing image data, including high resolution sensors for capturing high definition color images, stereo sensors (e.g., 2-camera disparity-based systems) for capturing three-dimensional and object-tracking data, time-of-flight sensors, structured light sensors, and other types of cameras and image sensors. Further, many other types of sensors can be used, such as thermal sensors, audio sensors, and the like.
Traditionally, each sensor has a specific function and comprises a unitary package. For example, if a given facility desired to capture both high resolution images of its customers, while also capturing thermal image data (e.g., in low-light applications), then at least two separate sensor systems would be necessary, requiring at least two discrete installation and calibration efforts, and producing at least two discrete data outputs. Thus need for a variety of different systems increases the cost and complexity associated with purchasing, installing, and operating such systems.
Further, because these systems are discrete, it is not possible to merge the data outputs from the systems to provide additional and rich data that otherwise would not be available. For example, if a facility desired to utilize a stereo sensor for purposes of object tracking, queue metrics, consumer counting, etc., and also use a high resolution sensor to collect high resolution information about specific objects identified via the stereo sensor images, then the output image streams from both systems would need to be physically (by a person) and painstakingly reviewed and compared to determine any meaningful information about the objects in the images. Accordingly, it would be practically impossible to complete this comparison process, say, thousands of times per day (e.g., identifying high resolution images of a plurality of persons entering or leaving a retail establishment).
Therefore, there is a long-felt but unresolved need for a unified, multi-sensor apparatus that enables capturing of a plurality of types of data within a single unit. There is a further need for a multi-sensor system that includes processing capabilities and functionality for merging and comparing disparate data streams to provide additional information and intelligence not previously available.